It was an unusual sunny morning on July 26 for foggy Tsimalakha.
At around nine in the morning Tshering Samten began washing his school uniform. His friend Sangay Dawa was watching TV.And along came Kinley Rinzin, 14, carrying a bag. He was in a mood to swim.
“Why don’t the two of you join me?” he said to Tshering Samten and Sangay Dawa.
“I have clothes to wash,” said Tshering Samten.
But Kinley Rinzin persisted, and Tsherig Samten gave in. Sangay Dawa tagged along.
Soon they were joined by Sangay Phuntsho, Tashi Phuntsho, Pema Sonam, Tashi Penjor and Sonam Pelgay.
And the eight boys set out to beat the heat.
Hopping and skipping on the road, digging each other for fun and frolicking like larks they couldn’t wait to get to the river.
Following a flimsy trail in the deep foliage, they walked into the woods and toward the river. And in about an hour they were there.
Hopping from stone to stone, they crossed the river and made it to the opposite bank. They took their clothes off and dived into the river.
About three kilometers downstream from the Chhukha Hydropower Corporation dam, the eight friends swam and played and laughed.
Afterward, sitting beside a warm fire they ate their lunch - kewa and laphu datshi (potatoes and radish cooked with cheese) rice, and raw noodles. They decided to save the biscuits for the evening tea at home.
The boys had all lied to their parents; some had said they were going to work on their school project. And parents had packed meals for them.
Just as they started eating the water level in the river began to rise. So they quickly finished eating and walked toward the dam to cross the river from there and head back home.
However, to their disappointment, there was no clear route and they lost the sense of direction. A huge cliff stopped them from going any further. They then walked back to the picnic spot.
It began to rain, and the boys panicked. The river was rising and the prospect of swimming back to the opposite bank looked bleak.
As rain poured hard on them, some cracked jokes to lift the spirits of the others. But the river kept rising. And they repented having lied to their parents.
But they decided to try their luck, and swam from the river bank to a big rock that jutted out in the middle of the river. Tshering Samten suggested they swim further to another rock and get to the river bank across.
Most refused.
Being the eldest in the group, Tshering Samten knew he had some responsibility for the safety of his friends. So he said he will swim to other rock and help them one by one. But the boys were scared.
And the rain continued to pour. The river soared.
But Tshering Samten swam, was sucked in by the river and thrown out, washing him some 100 meters downstream. Fighting the rapids with all his energy, Tshering Samten swam like mad. He made it to the other side of the river.
Another boy, Sangay Phuntsho, tried to swim across as well but went back giving up. The currents were too strong and the risk was big.
Barely able to communicate with his friends because of the river’s roar, all he could hear was his friends calling out to one Phurba who boys knew was an expert swimmer.
His friends wanted him to get Phurba there. Tshering Samten assured them help, asked the boys to hold on to each other, and starting walking back home.
But soon the night fell and he lost his way. He thought he was going mad. He ran through the jungle with numerous brambles bruising him. But he kept running.
“I didn’t even know where I was headed, I went wherever my legs took me and I kept running,” he said.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached Phurba, who immediately tied a rope around his waist and equipped himself with a knife.
But then, Phurba’s sister asked them to instead go and get help from the parents. Tshering Samten and Phurba ran toward Tsimalakha in the darkness.
(As narrated to BT by Tshering Samten)
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